Kenyan embassies in the US neglected

Kenya embassies and homes of ambassadors in capitals such as New York, Washington and Moscow are ageing and dilapidated, a parliamentary report reveals.

In an inspection report that paints the sorry state of affairs in the country’s foreign missions, the Defence and Foreign Relations committee, chaired by Katoo Ole Metito singled out the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC and Permanent Mission in New York.

Mr Metito led the committee delegation on inspection visits of Kenya’s permanent missions in Viena Austria, Embassy of Kenya in Russia, Washington DC, Los Angeles Consular, Kenya High Commission in Ottawa, Canada and embassies in Seoul, South Korea in Beijing China and Tokyo in Japan.

The committee said the building hosting the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC has greatly deteriorated with passage of time and in comparison with neighbouring structures, it stands out as neglected.

“The wooden windows have deteriorated with passage of time and battering by elements of weather and require to be replaced with modern aluminum glazed windows. This being a historical building, care must be taken to preserve the nature of facades,” the committee said.

The Kenyan Embassy building in Washington DC was constructed in 1930’s and the committee has recommended that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocate resources in phases for a complete re-roofing of the Chancery building to resolve the leakages and improve the building in a historically protected zone where building facades are supposed to be preserved.

On the Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the committee wants the ministry to renovate the Kenya House or demolish it with a view to building more houses for the staff to save on high rent the mission is currently incurring in renting houses.